Monday, February 28, 2005

The 16th Edition of the Red Ensign Standard ... Welcome!

I was born in B.C., educated in Quebec, and living in Ottawa. Thus, I can claim to be a well-rounded Canadian.

I was raised as a social conservative, but working in Central Canada made me aware of other viewpoints, other opinions, other lives. I may not agree with diversity, but I accept it.

I know our history as a nation, as well as the geopolitical pressures we are under. I am well aware of the Canadian Dilemma: we know what we are not, but we know not what we are.

Nowhere is this dilemma more personified than in our current national government, under our current leadership. He, like his predecessor, is a manager rather than a leader, spouting empty platitudes about vision and believing it a substitute for the real thing.

There is such a thing as a Canadian vision. We had it, years ago in the era of St. Laurent and Diefenbaker and Pearson ...

... when our flag was not a Maple Leaf, but a Union Jack with a Coat of Arms.

When we looked on America as a senior partner and not a rabid elephant. When we could persuade the world that we could keep the peace, and they believed us.

In the past thirty years, we lost that vision, mired in little arguments about provincial power, spending money, and social rights. Politicians left and right caused the people to lose faith in them ... and thus the vision faded.

But it hasn't completed disappeared. I still have it. And so do others.

We believe that Canada can still play its role alongside the Americans in the affairs of the world, that we can again wield the middle power status which we are so famous for.

And thus, though under a Maple Leaf ... in our hearts we fly the Red Ensign.

… because a beaver’s tooth is just as necessary as an eagle’s talon.

UPDATE (01 Mar 2005): Welcome, Instapundit readers (and boy, are there a lot of you)! Be sure to check out the postings of all our Brigadiers!

This edition of the Standard covers the period from 15-28 February 2005. Brigadiers who have nothing posted during this period are listed in the last section, along with the date of their last post.

This week , our newest irate member dedicates his blog to the original angry Canadian, Gordon Sinclair, and posts that ageless spoken word piece by Sinc, "The Americans", first broadcast in 1973 but still relevant today. He also looks at the Federal budget, pointing out that the numbers for sharing the gasoline excise tax work only if there is absolutely no change in fossil fuel consumption for private vehicles over the next five years. So much for the One-Tonne Challenge, eh? He'd like someone to remind him what the $5 billion for Kyoto was supposed to accomplish.

Rue and her kids spent last week recovering from head colds. Although it’s February, she’s decided to start her Spring Cleaning. While doing that, she stands up to an internet bully for the second time, admits that Ebay’s marketing is aimed at her, and celebrates a company’s campaign aimed at changing the current, narrow definition of beauty.

Rebecca celebrates her mother’s 70th birthday, complete with photos. She also has a beautiful photo essay on her day trip to Westminster Abbey (no, not that one; there’s one in Mission, British Columbia that must be seen to be believed).

Chris fixes the throughput on his wireless LAN just in time for a cardiac scare. While recuperating, he muses on the do’s and don’t’s for admittance to the hospital emergency room. (He also has photos of the Toronto Blogger Bash, complete with captions.)